The present invention is directed to bicycles and, more particularly, to an apparatus for retaining a bicycle disk brake rotor to a bicycle wheel hub.
Cycling has gained widespread acceptance not only as a means of transportation but also as a form of recreation. In fact, both amateur and professional bicycle racing has become extremely popular. As a result of these factors, the bicycle industry is constantly making improvements to various bicycle parts, whether they are used in bicycles for recreation, transportation, or racing. Bicycle braking systems in particular have undergone wide-ranging redesigns over the past few years.
Several types of bicycle braking devices are available on the market. Such devices include rim brakes, caliper brakes, disk brakes, and other general bicycle braking devices. Disk brake systems usually are the braking systems of choice when the rider requires a very high-performance braking system. That is because disk brake systems confer a very large amount of control relative to the force of operation applied to the brake lever, and they generally are very robust under any weather or riding condition.
Disk brake systems normally comprise a caliper connected to the bicycle frame, a brake lever attached to the bicycle handlebar for operating the caliper, and a disk brake rotor securely connected to the bicycle wheel hub. Several different methods are used for connecting the disk brake rotor to the wheel hub. In one method, the disc brake rotor is attached to an adapter, the adapter is attached to the hub, and then a fastener in the form of a lock ring is screwed onto the hub in order to secure the disc brake rotor assembly to the hub. Unfortunately, the lock ring can rotate relative to the hub after long years of use, vibration, etc., thereby possibly loosening the disc brake rotor assembly, even though the lock ring was tightly screwed onto the hub.
One attempt to solve the problem is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-136903. In that publication, serrations are formed on the face of the lock ring that contacts the disc brake rotor to help prevent loosening of the lock ring. While such a bicycle disc brake rotor assembly derives a certain anti-loosening effect due to the serrations formed on the lock ring, the contacted surface of the neighboring disc brake rotor is substantially flat, so the anti-loosening effect is inadequate.